Bulk Cargo & Dry Commodity Tools
Price, load and document dry bulk cargoes - calorific value basis conversion, draft survey displacement, stowage factor, port restrictions, inspection scopes and contract clauses in one place.
Dry bulk trading lives and dies on quality basis. A 6,000 kcal/kg GAR thermal coal is not the same cargo as 6,000 kcal/kg NAR or ADB - the spread between ARB and ADB on a 20% total moisture Indonesian cargo is over 900 kcal/kg, which at a pro-rata CV clause is more than USD 10 per metric tonne. Our Coal & Petcoke Quality Calculator converts between as-received, air-dried, dry and dry-ash-free bases using ISO 1928 / ASTM D3180 practice, applies the gross-to-net hydrogen correction, and prices the result against your contract's base CV, bonus cap and rejection limit.
Quantity disputes are the second recurring loss. A draft survey performed with the wrong trim correction, or with an unverified light-ship constant, can move the declared cargo by hundreds of tonnes. The Draft Survey Calculator follows UN ECE practice: mean of means from six draft readings, first and second trim corrections against LCF and MTC, density correction to the observed dock water, then deductibles for ballast, fresh water, bunkers and constant - with an automatic tolerance check against the bill of lading figure.
Loadability is a volume problem before it is a weight problem. Stowage factor times cargo tonnage plus broken stowage must fit the grain or bale capacity of the holds, and the sailing draft must clear the shallowest port on the rotation. The Stowage Factor Calculator and Port Draft Database work together so you can confirm a vessel nomination before fixing, rather than discovering a part-load at the load port.
The remaining tools cover the paperwork: SGS and Bureau Veritas style inspection scopes with the correct sampling and analysis standards, arbitration clauses for GAFTA, FOSFA, LMAA, ICC and the Asian centres, a library of commodity contract clauses with the drafting traps flagged, and country-by-country import document checklists.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between GAR, NAR, ADB and DAF coal?
GAR (gross as received) is the gross calorific value including total moisture. NAR (net as received) deducts the latent heat of the water formed from hydrogen and the moisture itself. ADB (air dried basis) removes surface moisture but keeps inherent moisture. DB is fully dry and DAF is dry and ash free. Converting between them requires the total moisture, inherent moisture and, for DAF, the dry-basis ash.
How do you convert GCV to NCV?
NCV = GCV − 5.72 × (9 × H + M) in kcal/kg at constant pressure per ISO 1928, where H is hydrogen percent and M is moisture percent, both expressed on the same basis as the GCV. The 9× factor is the mass of water produced per unit mass of hydrogen burned.
What is a draft survey and how accurate is it?
A draft survey determines cargo quantity from the change in the vessel's displacement between the initial and final surveys, corrected for trim, hull deflection, water density and all deductible weights. Performed properly it is accurate to roughly ±0.5%, which is why most bulk contracts allow a 0.5% tolerance against the bill of lading figure before a claim arises.
What is broken stowage?
Broken stowage is the fraction of hold volume that cannot be filled with cargo because of hold shape, frames, dunnage and trimming limits. It runs about 1–2% for free-flowing bulk such as grain or iron ore fines, and 10–25% for bagged or irregular cargo. Ignoring it overstates the loadable tonnage.
Which arbitration rules should a commodity contract use?
Choose by trade and cargo: GAFTA for grains and feedstuffs, FOSFA for oils and oilseeds, LMAA for charterparty and shipping disputes, and ICC, LCIA, SIAC or HKIAC for general sale and purchase agreements. The seat and governing law matter more than the institution because they decide which courts supervise and enforce the award.